Black Cats and Knitters

I was surfing through knitting blogs, a lovely time-wasting habit (in the sense i should be reading about World civilizations) when I noticed that a heck of alot of knitters have black cats. What is with this? I find it quite funny, granted there are probably just as many with non-black cats but I don't notice because of being a proud owner or being owned by a black cat. Seeing all the cats made me very homesick for my Jilly cat. I only have about 2 weeks left before I can go home and I'm looking forward to having someone to snuggle with .

I leave you with a couple of photos of my Jillian.

Mission Impossible

I know it's a little late for this but I have meaning to make my Mission/ Project impossible project list for the year. I already have one down.

1. Finish Canzona Mittens by February 1st-Done! Finished two days before.Done in Reynolds Whiskey. I loved the yarn but the light blue was slightly fluffier and I think created some slight tension issues with regard to the smoothness of the color work. However the uneveness goes away when I am wearing them. They are warm but not as warm as the mittens I made out of Lambs Pride Bulky.

2. Finish Wicked. I started this in August and got stuck on the sleeves- I bought metal needles which goes quicker than bamboo. I want to finish this buy end of February inorder to get two months wear.

3. Finish Flower Basket Shawl

4. Finish toe ups

5. Maria's socks before graduation

6. Make a noni-bag.

7. try and make a sweater/vest with true fair-isle knitting

8. Learn to drop spindle

9. learn how to weave in ends better

10. Knit with Malabrigo, it looks so lovely!

11. Understand guage and make a project in which my guage is different and fits!

12. Learn and understand more about short rows.

A word about college packing and knitting.

A quick christmas shot of my brother and mom with their handmade socks. One of the best moments of Christmas was seeing them both open their pairs!

Jeff's are basic sock recipe by Yarn Harlot in Austermen Step and Mom's the Lacy Anklet from Lace Style in Regia Silk (were originally made for me but they were a bit too small, fit my mom perfectly!)

Tomorrow I go back to college (technically a friend's apartment until the dorms open on Sunday but that isn't knitting related).

Anyway on to packing. When you go to school you have limited space and time for knitting so before you go back you must consider your projects and other knitting related items carefully. Here is what I have:

Projects: (on the needles)

-Wicked (need to finish this before the weather gets warm)

-Canzona mittens (will take with me in the car tomorrow)

-Toe up socks

-Flower Basket Shawl (large chance this won't get much worked on because you have to focus)

Yarn for other projects:

-Maria's sock yarn (need to have socks done by May for graduation) It's from the Knittery (pink and green for Delta Zeta!)

-Alpaca Silk from Knit Picks in flower garden.

-Cotton thread for provisional cast ons and life lines

Then bring the basic books: Victorian Lace Today, yarn Harlot recipe book (one with orange cover), The book of yarn (possibly) and patterns needed (I put them in a folder as to not take my entire 3 ring binder of print outs)

Then my needles and notions. Sounds good.

Now for some pictures!

This is the Andre scarf in which I turned into a pillow because I would have never finished it otherwise. It was a gift for my brother James and the first project in which I really did intarsia.Jeff's Socks finished after a near of being on the needls. He loved them so much he wore them for four days!

A New Year

Long time no post. I got this survey from Cthuhulovesme.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? get my nosed pierced, dancercize, tell somebody off on the phone, learn to really stand up for myself
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for next year? I can't remember any of them, one was probably stop picking at pimples and failed.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? my one coworker
4. Did anyone close to you die? no
5. What countries did you visit? none though sometimes school feels like another country
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? Happiness and trust
7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? February 14th, personal reason I'd rather not reveal.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Going back to school after the previous semester and changing my major
9. What was your biggest failure? I don't think i had one because everything happens for a reason
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Severe depression
11. What was the best thing you bought? yarn, maybe a yarn swift (I really needed one)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My parents, my brother Jeff, and my friends who stuck by me when I was doing my best to push them away.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? James, Jonah, Keri, sometimes Gen
14. Where did most of your money go? Yarn and yarn related goods
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Going to see Doloris O'Roiden
16. What song will always remind you of 2007? "I'm Free to Decide"
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:- i. happier or sadder? Much happier! - ii. thinner or fatter? dunno maybe more in shape, my weight fluctuates when I'm at home or school .- iii. richer or poorer? poorer-stinken school and sorority
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? laughing
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? crying, worrying what everyone else thought
20. How will you be spending Christmas? probably with my family
21. Where will you be spending New Year’s Eve? won't know until next december
22. Did you fall in love in 2007? nope and that's perfectly fine
23. How many one-night stands? none
24. What was your favorite TV program? Antm, House, Mythbusters, any craft show and daily show
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I severly dislike some people but I refuse to hate anyone. Certain relationships have changed that I'm dissapointed with (James)
26. What was the best book you read? In this past year? The Historian
27. What was your greatest musical discovery? umm the Shin's new album
28. What did you want and get? happiness
29. What did you want and not get? an apology from Jonah or Keri
30. What was your favorite film of this year? Because I said So
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Work and spent time with people I love.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Maybe James not acting to weird and distant.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Letters and B. Moss Clothing.
34. What kept you sane? Knitting, Tv, and my close friends
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Towards the end Gerard Butler and Mike Rowe
36. What political issue stirred you the most? Honestly I did not pay attention this year but locally my township becoming a first class township which it did, woot woot.
37. Who did you miss? My brother Jeff
38. Who was the best new person you met? Carol, my Little Jess, Marianne, gosh so many.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007: You can't control how people are going to act and react but you can control your own actions and how you feel.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"I'm free to decide and I'm not so suicidal after all"

A Fo and another failed attempt

Update

It's been a while since my last post. Mostly due to work and not really having the time to post. I do have some fo's and a wip or two. The first round of praxis are happening this saturday so after that I will try to have that post up. Also I have a new computer due to the fact that the current one is pretty useless and breaking down.

So I finished the one lacy sock from Lace Style. Unfortunately there aren't any photos because my camera batteries died and I am having problems finding the proper ones to replace them with.

Anyway I gave into the Mystery Stole #3. I have done some small lace projects before but never a complete shawl or stole. Here is a picture of the progress:As you can see, there is no picture. That is because I am not going to show my progress. There seems to be a ton of pictures of the clues already and I think that showing the progress would take away from the "mystery". I can tell you though that I am on the chart b of the first clue.